Definition

Noun: 1. Coffin: A long, narrow box, typically made of wood, in which a dead body is buried or cremated. This is the standard and most common meaning. 2. Casket: (Less common, but sometimes used interchangeably, especially in American English contexts) A more ornate burial box, often with a hinged lid.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người ta đặt thi thể vào trong quan tài. (They placed the body in the coffin.)
  • Chiếc quan tài được làm từ gỗ sồi. (The coffin was made of oak.)
  • Gia đình đã chọn một chiếc quan tài rất đơn giản. (The family chose a very simple coffin.)

Advanced Usage

• "Đóng quan tài": To seal/nail shut the coffin.

  • Sau lễ viếng, họ sẽ tiến hành đóng quan tài. (After the visitation, they will proceed to seal the coffin.)

• "Hạ quan tài": To lower the coffin (into the grave).

  • Khoảnh khắc hạ quan tài xuống huyệt thật đau lòng. (The moment of lowering the coffin into the grave was heartbreaking.)

Variants and Related Words

• Áo quan (n): A synonym for "quan tài" in Vietnamese, also meaning coffin. It is slightly more formal or literary.
• Hòm (n): A more colloquial and sometimes perceived as blunt or less respectful term for a coffin.
• Tiểu (n): A small coffin, often used for a child.
• Sà lan (n, slang): A very informal and disrespectful slang term for a coffin.

Synonyms

• Coffin (n): The most direct and common equivalent.
• Casket (n): Often implies a more rectangular and finely finished burial case.
• Burial case (n): A formal, descriptive term.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: As "quan tài" is a noun, it does not have phrasal verbs. Common verbs used with it include: đặt vào (place in), đóng (seal), hạ (lower), mang/vác (carry).)

Related Idioms

• "Nằm trong quan tài": To be in the coffin; meaning to be dead and buried.

  • Khi tôi nằm trong quan tài rồi, anh ta mới hối hận. (Only when I'm in the coffin will he feel regret.)

• "Đinh cuối cùng trên nắp quan tài": The final nail in the coffin. (This is a loan translation from English, used similarly to mean the last in a series of bad events that makes failure inevitable).

  • Việc khách hàng chủ chốt rời đi là đinh cuối cùng trên nắp quan tài của công ty. (The key client leaving was the final nail in the coffin for the company.)

noun

1. coffin